Acne spots pop up in patterns that often hint at habits or imbalances worth checking. While ancient face maps from Chinese or Ayurvedic traditions link breakouts to organs like the liver or kidneys, modern dermatologists focus on proven triggers like oil glands, friction-and hormones. Cleveland Clinic notes that repeated pimples in one area can signal lifestyle tweaks-rather than deep disease. Mayo Clinic adds that acne thrives where sebaceous glands cluster, like the face-and back, due to excess oil clogging pores.

The T-zone spans your forehead, nose-and chin, packed with large pores-and oil glands. Blackheads and whiteheads love it here because sebum flows freely. Health.com points to digestive hiccups, stress, or poor sleep as common culprits, backed by patterns in acne studies. NCBI’sreview on acne vulgaris ties forehead flares to hair products or hats trapping bacteria. If yours stick around, cut greasy foods or swap heavy fringe; hydration-and gentle cleansing often clear it up.

Cheeks light up from phone rests, dirty pillows, or masks rubbing skin, known as acne mechanica. Cleveland Clinic dermatologists see this in patients with consistent cheek zits, linking it to bacteria transfer. Respiratory irritants like smoking or allergies play a role too, per face mapping insights. Wiping devices daily-and flipping pillowcases to break the cycle. Persistent spots might mean allergies, so antihistamines help alongside non-comedogenic skincare.

Along the jaw and chin, cystic nodules scream hormones. Fluctuations from periods, PCOS, or birth control shifts drive oil overdrive here. Healthline’s acne mapping, drawing from dermatologist input, flags this zone for endocrine checks. A study in PMC on facial skin variations shows lower face oil spikes with stress. Women notice cycles; men tie it to testosterone. Spearmint tea or low-glycemic diets ease it, but endocrinologists confirm with bloodwork if stubborn.Temple pimples whisper kidney or bladder stress in old maps, but science points to medications or alcohol excess. Health.com notes congestion here from poor detox or hats. Ears or side cheeks flag phone grime or earrings. Overall, NCBI stresses acne’s inflammatory roots in pilosebaceous units, worsened by diet or environment. Track patterns with a journal to spot links.Dermatologists caution against over-relying on maps, as genetics-and bacteria like P. acnes drive most cases. Mayo Clinic urges benzoyl peroxide or retinoids first, with doctors for scars or cysts. Lifestyle wins: wash twice daily, eat veggies, manage stress. Clear skin reflects inner balance, but spots signal self-care call.Dr. Sapna Vadera, a facial cosmetic surgeon popular on Instagram, nails the bigger picture: “Acne mapping is a targeted diagnostic approach that correlates breakout locations on the face with underlying systemic or lifestyle triggers. Instead of treating blemishes in isolation, this method triangulates patterns (e.g., forehead, chin, cheeks) to hypothesize etiology such as stress, hormones, diet, gut health–or skincare habits.” Her take blends patterns with real fixes.

Mumbai: BMC’s recent decision to float a Rs 1,348-crore tender to auction the six-acre Century Cotton Textile Mill land for a 30-year lease drew sharp criticism from the Opposition who questioned the intent to monetise the public land after a prolonged legal battle to establish its ownership.“It’s a corrupt practice to auction BMC’s public land in the absence of Mumbai’s elected representatives,” alleged Worli MLA Aaditya Thackeray of Shiv Sena (UBT), adding that he would soon write to the BMC commissioner about the auctioning of the Century mill plot and another Worli plot bearing CS No. 1629 (part), currently used for an asphalt plant and municipal testing laboratory which BMC also proposes to lease for a period of 30 years, to raise funds for its ongoing infrastructure projects.The six-acre land was leased in 1927 to Century Spinning and Manufacturing Co (now Century Textiles and Industries Ltd) for 28 years at an annual rent of Re 1. The lease expired in 1955, but the company continued to occupy land; neither BMC nor the company initiated proceedings for half a century. In 2006, the company sent a notice to BMC saying that as per the deed, land ought to be conveyed after expiry of 28-year lease. The matter reached the Bombay high court. In March 2022, HC directed BMC to execute the conveyance deed within eight weeks. On Jan 7, 2025, the Supreme Court set aside the HC ruling, ending Century Textiles’ claim over the land and clearing the way for the BMC to auction it.“In the case of Century Mill quarters, the number of residents as per BMC is different from the real number on the ground — obviously benefiting the builder. We will not let a single brick be put in both Worli plots — whoever the builder — until Mumbai’s voice is heard. If at all these plots are developed, they must house the current residents (in Century Mill land) along with mill workers, and retired police, BMC, and govt staffers,” Thackeray said.Malad MLA and former cabinet minister Aslam Shaikh alleged enormous amounts of public money were spent in the past few years on infrastructure projects and beautification works, which showed “zero” results. “When it realised that there is no money now to fund the remaining infrastructure projects, BMC is now looking at monetising public lands,” he said.Some also pointed out that BMC, on one hand, fought for years — right up to the Supreme Court — to establish its ownership over the Century mill land, only to now open it up for private participation.Advocate Vivekanand Gupta argued that leasing out the plot for commercial development defeats the very purpose of retaining public land, especially in a densely built area like Worli. In his letter to the chief minister, he said: “Public land is held in trust by the government for citizen use and should be maintained by BMC for public purpose only. The lack of safe and open spaces disproportionately affects children and women, who often have fewer secure places to play or exercise, impacting their development and well-being. I request your urgent intervention in this matter to immediately stop the auction and save this essential open space in Mumbai.”Even BJP leader and former opposition leader in the BMC Ravi Raja objected to the move. Pointing out that after securing the land after a long and expensive legal fight, to hand it over for privatisation raises serious questions about priorities. “The obvious reason for BMC to do so is to raise revenue for the Rs 2 lakh crore of liabilities it has for the multiple projects it has taken up,” said Raja.

NEW DELHI: Delhiites could see poison in the air on Sunday. A thick layer of toxic smog enveloped the capital, turning the city into a gas chamber with air quality plunging to ‘severe-plus’ category for the first time this year.The city’s 24-hour average air quality index stood at 461, the second-worst recorded in Dec and the worst in nearly 13 months. Since the scale began in April 2015, only once has a higher AQI been recorded in Dec – 469 on Dec 21, 2017. For any month, the last time Delhiites a suffered worst AQI was on Nov 18 last year (494).

AQI Severe-Plus, Delhi’s Worst In More Than 1 Yr

High moisture, low temperatures and calm winds effectively trapped pollution close to the surface even as a grey smog screened out the sun for most of the day. Winds are predicted to pick up slightly post-noon on Monday, which could disperse some pollutants.On Sunday, atmospheric ‘inversion’ made the situation worse. This occurs when cooler air near the ground gets trapped un-der warmer air above, stop ping pollutants from dispers ing. Though meteorological conditions remained unfa-vourable for the dispersion of pollutants, local emissions continued to remain high.“This is a true depiction. of Delhi’s local emissions be cause wind speeds are almost zero, meaning there is hardly any inflow or outflow of air. Vertical ventilation is con-fined to a column of just 600 metres, which means whatev er remains in the box-Delhi is largely its own emis sions. Under these condi-tions, the contribution of dust is negligible. When dust is released from construction activity, it usually spreads to other areas due to wind, but with winds nearly calm, it cannot pollute places beyond the immediate site of re-lease,” said Gufran Beig. founder of the System of Air Quality and Weather Fore-casting and Research (SA-FAR) and Chair Professor at the National Institute of Ad-vanced Studies (NIAS).Of the total 39 active air quality monitoring stations, 38 saw ‘severe’ AQI while only Shadipur was placed in the ‘ve-ry poor category at 375. Of these, three stations Wazir pur, Rohini and Ashok Vihar maxed out at 500, while several others reported AQI above 490.This is the second spell of severe air days in Delhi this season. The city had recorded three consecutive severe days from Nov 11 to 13. In this win-ter season, the city has re-corded five such days, when AQI surpassed 400.After air quality started rapidly deteriorating on Saturday, the Graded Response Action Plan’s stage III was im-posed in the morning. Stage IV was invoked on Saturday eve ning as AQI showed no sign of improvement. Currently, all stages of GRAP are in force.Delhi’s highest-ever AQI of 497 was recorded on Nov 6, 2016. The second-worst air quality day followed on Nov 18 last year with AQI reaching 494.

Mumbai: With the model code of conduct for the BMC elections expected to come into force this week, political activity over the weekend signalled that the civic poll battle has effectively begun. BJP party leaders moved swiftly to inaugurate projects, using public platforms to make their pitch to voters. On Sunday, the foundation stone for the proposed Exotic Bird Park at Nahur was laid, alongside the virtual inauguration of a new building at the BMC-run Agarwal General Hospital in Mulund (West). What was officially a civic event soon doubled up as a political show of confidence ahead of the crucial municipal polls.Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde addressed the gathering through recorded video messages. Mulund MLA Mihir Kotecha, who had been pushing for the bird park, credited the projects to what he described as the “double-engine government” at the Centre and the state.Looking ahead to the BMC polls, he said a Mahayuti mayor would soon take charge, delivering a “triple-engine government” in Mumbai. Appealing to voters, Kotecha urged them to replicate the support he received in the 2024 Assembly elections—where he won with a lead of nearly 91,000 votes—for BJP–Mahayuti candidates in the civic polls.Guardian minister and BJP’s BMC election in-charge Ashish Shelar was more explicit in setting the political tone. Referring to the proposed inauguration of the bird park in Dec 2027, he said he expected a BJP–Mahayuti mayor to be in office by then. Calling it Mumbai’s first exotic bird park, Shelar said he was glad the project had not been named after any individual and credited local leadership of Koetcha as well as former BJP MP Manoj Kotak who was also seated on the dais for ensuring the land remained a public open space. Taking a swipe at the opposition, Shelar criticised the previous Uddhav Thackeray-led government’s handling of civic assets and zoo management, contrasting it with what he called the Mahayuti’s development-focused approach. He urged Mumbaikars to give the alliance five years in the BMC, claiming it would deliver outcomes beyond expectations.Appealing specifically to voters in Mulund, Shelar called for all six civic seats in the area to be handed to the Mahayuti “in record numbers,” adding jokingly that those seeking party tickets should remember him when the project is inaugurated in 2027.The aviary will be developed on a BMC-owned plot measuring approximately 17,139.64 square metres. Of this, about 10,859 square metres will be used for specially designed aviaries for exotic birds. The remaining area will include a ticket counter, public toilets, souvenir shop, café and underground parking facilities.

The uncapped wicketkeeper-batter from Rajasthan, Kartik Sharma, has become one of the most talked-about domestic talents heading into the IPL 2026 auction on December 16th.

The 19-year-old, known for his explosive power-hitting, has successfully completed trials for numerous top franchises, capitalizing on his strong performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) and recent First-Class centuries. Ahead of the auction, Sharma openly discussed the intense trial process, revealing which high-profile teams showed interest and offering insight into his interactions with coaches and mentors. Most notably, he did not hesitate to declare his long-time favorite franchise, while also sharing an encouraging exchange with one of the league’s biggest names.

Kartik Sharma’s extensive IPL franchise trial experience

The interest surrounding Kartik Sharma, who has set his base price at a modest ₹30 lakh, has been intense, leading to him being invited for trials by over half the franchises in the league. This flurry of invitations underscores the high demand for young, dual-skilled domestic talent, especially wicketkeeper-batters, in the IPL.

Kartik appeared in an interview for Game Changer YT Channel where he confirmed that he spent considerable time demonstrating his skills to both the coaching staff and recruitment teams of several major franchises, indicating a serious level of interest from teams looking to secure uncapped players with high potential. Kartik provided a full list of the teams that invited him, stating:

“I’ve attended trials for six to seven franchises so far. Hyderabad, Mumbai Indians, Chennai, RCB, RR, Delhi. My practice matches in Chennai have gone well. Mahi Bhaiya didn’t come. But the other staff were there and said that they had enjoyed my batting.”

This extensive list, including auction heavyweights like CSK, MI, and the defending champions RCB, showcases the level of attention he has garnered. His recent strong domestic form, including scoring 133 runs at a strike rate of 160.24 in the SMAT and smashing two First-Class centuries (120 vs Delhi and 139 vs Mumbai), has cemented his status as a key target in the uncapped set of players (Set 8).

Also READ: Cameron Green reveals the real reason behind being listed as a ‘batter’ in IPL 2026 auction

Kartik’s favourite IPL Team ahead of 2026 mini-auction

In a major revelation, Kartik disclosed his favorite team, which is particularly relevant given the upcoming auction. The young star openly expressed his deep admiration for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), the franchise that secured their maiden title in 2025. This preference could subtly influence the bidding dynamic, should RCB enter the fray to acquire him. Furthermore, Kartik shared a valuable mentorship experience he gained during the trial process, receiving direct advice from the veteran wicketkeeper-batter and RCB mentor, Dinesh Karthik. This interaction highlighted the specific aspects of his game that franchises are keen to develop.

Kartik was open about his franchise loyalty and the encouraging advice he received:

“My favorite franchise is RCB & I got a message from DK Sir… DK bhaiya spoke to me during the trials. He said that I’ve been batting well and advised me to focus more on keeping.”

🚨 | 📢 | 🔔
When Asked About Which Team He Would Like To Play Kartik Said There Is Nothing Like That, I Just Want To Play IPL.
When Asked About His Fav Team In IPL He Supports He Said RCB.
VC: Game Changer YT Channel (@manoj_dimri)#IPL2026 #IPLAuction #IPL #RCB #Cricket https://t.co/SKmGW27gLF pic.twitter.com/7eIynbQDc1

— surendeRR singh 💗 (@Surende26790545) December 13, 2025

The advice to focus on keeping is highly strategic, as his primary role in the IPL will be to provide a reliable wicketkeeping option alongside his proven batting talent. Kartik’s success against major domestic teams, coupled with the explicit interest from teams like RCB and the positive feedback from CSK staff, strongly suggests that his name, listed with a base price of ₹30 lakh, will quickly become one of the most aggressively bid-upon in the uncapped category of the IPL 2026 auction.

Also READ: GOAT India tour 2025: When Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni picked between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

THANE: A series of thefts inside an express train triggered chaos at Badlapur railway station on Central Railway late Saturday, after angry passengers stopped the Jodhpur Express by pulling the emergency chain. Alleging repeated thefts, the presence of unauthorised travellers in reserved coaches and the railway administration’s failure to act promptly, passengers resorted to halting the train, leading to widespread disruption of rail services.The incident occurred while the Jodhpur Express was travelling from Surat towards Pune. According to passengers, several ticketless and unauthorised travellers had entered reserved coaches, blocking access to toilets and creating a sense of insecurity. During the journey, multiple incidents of theft of luggage and cash were reported. Passengers claimed they had caught one thief at Surat station and handed him over to the authorities, but alleged that thefts continued even after that.Despite repeatedly approaching the railway police, ticket inspectors and contacting the railway helpline, the passengers said no effective action was taken. Frustrated by the alleged inaction, some passengers pulled the emergency chain, forcing the train to halt at Badlapur station. As the express train stopped, local trains running behind it were also delayed, sparking anger among local commuters waiting for local train. Several local train passengers had to wait for long periods, while some were forced to walk to Badlapur station. This led to a tense situation, with express and local train passengers coming face to face and exchanging heated arguments on the platform. While discussions were underway between passengers and Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel, the express train, which had been halted for some time, suddenly resumed its journey towards Karjat. Many passengers who had alighted to lodge complaints were left stranded on the platform. In some cases, elderly passengers and small children were still inside the train, triggering panic and further outrage among those left behind.In anger, a few passengers even stepped onto the railway tracks. However, RPF personnel quickly intervened and brought them back to the platform, as a Khopoli local train was approaching. To resolve the situation, the railway authorities arranged for the stranded passengers to board a Khopoli local train and escorted them to Karjat, where they were reunited with the Jodhpur Express. The incident led to heavy crowding at Badlapur railway station and disrupted Central Railway services for a considerable period. Late-night commuters and office-goers returning home faced significant inconvenience.When asked over issues, Central Railway’s Chief Public Relations Officer Dr Swapnil Nila said that thefts of passengers’ belongings and cash had occurred between Surat and Valsad stations. He confirmed that passengers were demanding the return of their stolen property and had earlier created a disturbance at Valsad before stopping the train at Badlapur. He added that due to the incident, seven trains were delayed. According to him, the RPF ensured that passengers who were left behind were safely escorted and accommodated back on the express train.

NEW DELHI: In a boost to India’s rotary wing combat capabilities, the Army is set to get delivery of three remaining Apache AH-64 attack helicopters from US, while the Navy will commission its second squadron of MH-60R Seahawk submarine-hunting choppers this week.The induction of these much-delayed American helicopters will plug existing operational gaps but the real punch will come when the Army and IAF begin getting 156 indigenous ‘Prachand’ light combat helicopters from 2028 onwards.Armed forces want over 1,000 new helicopters of different types in next 10-15 years to make up for major deficiencies and replace obsolete Cheetah and Chetak fleets.They include 484 light-utility helicopters in 3.5-tonne class and 419 Indian multi-role helicopters in 10-15 tonne class, but there have been delays in these projects being executed by HAL.The three Apache gunships, dubbed “tanks in the air” since they are armed with Stinger air-to-air missiles, Hellfire Longbow air-to-ground missiles, guns and rockets, will touchdown in India in a couple of days, defence officials told TOI.India had ordered six heavy-duty Apaches for the Army in a Rs 5,691 crore deal with US in February 2020, under which the first three were delivered in July after a huge delay due to supply chain problems faced by Boeing. These six Apaches will add to the 22 such choppers inducted by IAF in 2019-2020 under a Rs 13,952 crore deal with US in Sept 2015. The Army Apaches will be deployed at Jodhpur, where a squadron was raised in March last year to cater for the western front with Pakistan.Navy will commission its second squadron of Seahawks, armed with Hellfire missiles, MK-54 torpedoes and precision-kill rockets as well as advanced sensors, at INS Hansa in Goa on Dec 17.The US has so far delivered 15 of the 24 Seahawks, which are manufactured by Sikorsky-Lockheed Martin, under a Rs 15,157 crore contract in February 2020. Incidentally, the defence ministry last month inked another Rs 7,955 crore contract with the US for follow-on support and spares for the multi-mission helicopters.While quite expensive, the Seahawks are crucial because the 140-warship Navy is currently grappling with just a handful of old Sea King and Kamov-28 anti-submarine warfare helicopters at a time when the presence of Chinese submarines is only going to further increase in the Indian Ocean Region.

Mumbai Indians’ Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 cricket match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians, in Hyderabad. (PTI Photo)

The five-time champions and one of the league’s most ruthless teams, the Mumbai Indians (MI) have almost all their boxes ticked on paper heading into the IPL Auction 2026 on December 16 in Abu DhabiMumbai Indians, tied with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) as the most successful IPL team, were eliminated in Qualifier 2 last season (2025) by Punjab Kings (PBKS), thanks to a batting masterclass by Shreyas Iyer.

Mumbai Indians came late to the party last season, as they so often do, after losing four of their first five games partly due to not having Jasprit Bumrah at the start of the season. Once Bumrah came back, MI took off and won six games on the trot and qualified for the playoffs.MI had a win percentage of 56.2 in the 2025 season, much better than the 28.6 they had in the previous one (2024), when they finished last in the points table.Before the auction, MI released Arjun Tendulkar (traded to LSG), Bevon Jacobs, Karn Sharma, Lizaad Williams, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Reece Topley, Krishnan Shrijith, Satyanarayana Raju, and Vignesh Puthur.However, they have got Shardul Thakur (traded in from LSG), Sherfane Rutherford (traded in from GT), and Mayank Markande (traded in from KKR), to add depth in an already formidable squad. Ahead of the IPL Auction, here’s a look at the strong points of MI, areas they need to work on, and what to expect from them in Abu Dhabi.

Strength to strength

If anyone just writes the names of Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Trent Boult, Mitchell Santner, Ryan Rickelton, Will Jacks, among others, and tells that they all play for the same team in T20s, then perhaps there’s no need to write anything else about the strong points of that team. The names and their numbers tell the story on their own.In Jasprit Bumrah, MI have arguably the world’s best T20 bowler; he has 183 wickets at an economy of 7.24 in IPL. In the 2025 season, Bumrah (18) and Boult (22) had among them 40 wickets and conceded runs at just 6.68 and 8.97, respectively. Continuing their trend of unearthing domestic talent, MI introduced left-arm pacer Ashwani Kumar last year, he took 11 wickets in 7 matches last season, and along with Deepak Chahar, Bumrah, and Boult, he played a key role in MI’s success with the ball.

With 717 runs at a strike rate of 167.92 and a ridiculous average of 65.18, Suryakumar Yadav had a dream season in 2025 and was the top scorer for MI.In Ryan Rickelton and Rohit Sharma, MI have an opening pair that may not be the most destructive, but surely one that can demolish any bowling lineup. Rohit, 418 runs at a strike rate of 149.29, and Rickelton, 388 runs at a strike rate of 150.97, were the second and third among the top scorers for MI last season.And in their captain Hardik Pandya, MI have the best T20 fast-bowling all-rounder. In the 2025 season, he scored 224 runs at a strike rate of 163.50 and was the third-highest wicket-taker for MI with 14 wickets. But perhaps most important for MI was his return as a finisher. Pandya scored only 58 runs in 44 balls at a below-par strike rate of 131.8 between overs 15-20 in the 2024 season. On the other hand, in 2025, the all-rounder scored 182 runs in 109 balls at a strike rate of 167.0Naman Dhir was also a key player in providing MI with good finishes in the 2025 season. He hit 201 runs at 187.9 in the overs between 15-20 last season.Santner and Karn Sharma’s spin provided control to MI in the middle overs last season. In 13 matches, Santner took 10 wickets and gave away runs at only 7.92 runs per over. Karn played only 5 matches and was economical at 8.53 while also taking 7 wickets.While MI released Puthur and Karn before the auction, they have traded in leg-spinner Mayank Markande from KKR. Markande earlier played for MI in the 2018,’19, and 2022 seasons. MI will also have the services of Afghan off-spinner Allah Ghazanfar. MI bought him last season, but he was replaced by Mujeeb ur Rahman after being ruled out for the whole season due to injury.

Areas to work on

Not necessarily a weakness, but MI might be slightly concerned about Tilak Varma’s strike rate. Among the top 5 run getters for MI last season, Tilak had the slowest scoring rate of 138.31. He hit 343 runs off 248 balls in 13 innings. To put things in perspective, he scored at a strike rate of 164.1 and 149.6 in the 2023 and 2024 seasons, respectively.Will Jacks also had a below-par strike rate of 135.47 last season. However, as a possible backup for him, MI traded in Sherfane Rutherford from GT, who struck at 157.29 last season.

Do MI need to go to an auction at all?

While MI have almost all its boxes ticked, there are some holes, though very small, to fill.With only Rs 2.75 crore in their purse and 5 remaining slots, one of them overseas, MI may want to have an Indian middle-order batter as a backup option in the auction. Someone like Sarfaraz Khan might be on their list, but expect their scout team to again unearth someone from the domestic circuit whose name many may not have heard before.What MI would also like to have are some more Indian spin-bowling options. In Raghu Sharma and Mayank Markande, MI have two Indian leg-spinners, they might go for one or two Indian finger spin options at the auction.However, whether MI get the desired players or not, the auction is unlikely to decide their upcoming season. Hardik Pandya’s side looks formidable enough to take on any team to end their title drought and win the IPL silverware for a record sixth time.